Aircraft passenger cabins generally include some form of overhead stowage bins that allow passengers to stow their carry-on luggage during a flight. The overhead stowage bins are typically arranged to include outboard stowage bins positioned on the left and right sides of a passenger cabin directly above the outboard seats. In multi-aisle aircraft, inboard stowage bins typically are positioned above the center seats. The stowage bins are often pivotally mounted to fixed support structures to be easily opened and closed by passengers. The outboard and inboard stowage bins are positioned to avoid interfering with the seat aisles through the passenger cabin, while allowing the passengers to open the bins and stow or remove their luggage when standing in the aisles adjacent to their seats.
Commercial airplanes typically have multiple passenger cabins with seats in a variety of seat-row arrangements to serve passengers with different requirements and fare potentials. For example, a business class or first class cabin typically will have a 2-2-2 seat-row arrangement, wherein there are two outboard seats on the left side of the fuselage, two center seats, and two outboard seats on the right side of the fuselage. The same aircraft also often has an economy class cabin with a 2-4-2 seat-row arrangement, wherein there are two left outboard seats, four center seats, and two right outboard seats. An economy class passenger cabin could have other seating configurations, such as a 3-2-3 seat-row arrangement, wherein there are three left outboard seats, two center seats, and three right outboard seats. The outboard seats in these different seating configurations are spaced laterally apart from the center seats to provide elongated aisles extending longitudinally through the passenger cabins. The aisles for each of the different seat-row arrangements typically are different widths or are in different lateral positions relative to the longitudinal centerline of the fuselage.
Conventional passenger aircraft of a common model typically have common stowage bin systems within the passenger cabins. The stowage bin systems typically have outboard and inboard stowage bins installed in a single, fixed configuration within the passenger cabin. The outboard and inboard stowage bins are spaced apart from each other so as to define one or more longitudinal overhead aisles through the passenger cabin.
Conventional overhead aisles, known as composite aisles, are designed to be wide enough so that any conventional seating configuration can be installed and so the seat aisles between the seats will be positioned below the composite aisles. For example, the same composite overhead aisle(s) is used in each aircraft independent of whether the seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 seat-row arrangement, 2-2-2 seat-row arrangement, a 2-4-2 seat-row arrangement, a 2-5-2 seat-row arrangement, a 3-2-3 seat-row arrangement, or other seat-row arrangements. The result of using a wide composite aisle, however, include loosing the ability to use some of the overhead space for stowage. Insufficient overhead stowage space can be a source of dissatisfaction for passengers, thereby detracting from the passengers' overall flying experience.
In conventional aircraft having a single-aisle seating arrangement, the passenger cabin typically is configured with a 2-2 seat-row arrangement (two seats on each side of the seat aisle), or a 2-3 seat-row arrangement (two seats on one side of the seat aisle and three seats on the other side). The overhead stowage bin systems used with the single-aisle seating arrangement typically are configured with a composite aisle that can accommodate both the 2-2 and 2-3 seat-row arrangements. In at least one conventional aircraft configured with a 2-3 seat-row arrangement, the overhead stowage bin system provides standard stowage bins, which are suitable for both the 2-3 and the 2-2 seat-row arrangements, over the set of two outboard seats, and larger stowage bins over the set of three outboard seats. The combination of larger and standard stowage bins on opposite sides of the overhead aisle provides for greater overhead stowage capacity as compared to the stowage capacity in a stowage bin system for a 2-2 seat-row arrangement. The increased overhead stowage capacity, however, typically requires a trade off with versatility to rearrange the passenger cabin with a different seat-row arrangement, such as the 2-2 seat-row arrangement.